Means for preventing congestion in car-aisles.



A. J. BREDA.

MEANS FOR PREVENTING GONGESTION IN OAR AISLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 27, 1909.

Patented July 13, 1909.

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mm. a. swan m. micro-Wis. msmucrou u c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW J. BREDA, OF I'IICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MEANS FOR PREVENTING CONGESTION IN CAR-AISLES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW J. BREDA, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Chicago, Cook county, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Preventing Congestion in Car-Aisles, of which the following is a specification.

The main objects of this invention are to provide improved means for preventing eongestion in passenger car aisles, and partic ularly in that class of cars where the conductor is stationed at one end of the car; and toprovide means for moving the passengers in the aisle toward either end of the car, dependent on which end of the car is in front.

A specific construction embodying this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a horizontal section of a payas-you-enter car, and showing the movable aisle floor in plan view. Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section illustrating one method of constructing and supporting the movable aisle floor. Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the movable aisle floor. Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of the same.

In the construction shown in said drawings, the car 1 is of the pay-as-you-ente1" type, and is provided with end vestibules 2 and 3 which are convertible into either a conductors or a motormans vestibule. Within the body of the car are the seats 4 at each side of a central aisle which opens at'either end into a space 5. The vestibule 2 is herein shown as the rear vestibule and is provided with the entrance 6, the conductors booth or station 7, and the rear exit 8, and the front vestibule 3 is provided with the front exit 9. Then the passengers enter the body of the car from the rear vestibule, there is a tendency, after the seats have been filled, for them to stop in the aisle, and it, together with the rear space 5, soon becomes congested, while the front space 5 remains comparatively empty. For the purpose of moving the passengers in the aisle toward the front end of the car, a traveling aisle floor 10 is provided, which may be of any preferred construction, but as herein shown it comprises a plurality of transverse cleats or strips 11 laid side by side and provided at their ends with longitudinally extending pins or trunnions 12, and which are connected Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 27, 1909.

Patented July 13, 1909.

Serial No. 486,190.

together by links 13, each of which is engaged to the adjacent trunnions of two adjacent. strips. Said aisle floor is endless and is supported at the ends of the aisle on sheaves 1 1- with its upper lap in the same plane as the car floor, and to prevent said upper lap from sagging a plurality of rollers 15 are supported beneath the edges thereof and on which said lap runs. The sheaves 14 are rigidly engaged on shafts 16 which are journaled in suitable bearings 17 attached to the under side of the car floor, or from any suitable part of the under structure of the car.

The aisle floor is adapted to travel in either direction, dependent on which end of the car is being used as its forward end. For this purpose motors 1S and 19 are supported on the under structure of the car and are connected to the shafts 10 by the gearing 20 in such manner that either motor may be dis connected from the shaft. The motors are connected in the circuits 21 and 22, and said circuits are provided with switches 23 and 24 respectively, which are so situated that the conductor has convenient access to them when in his booth. Each switch controls the motor at the opposite end of the car therefrom, so that the conductor must operate the forward motor when it is desired to moX e the aisle floor, and thereby keep the upper lap of said floor taut.

The operation of the construction shown is as follows: The passengers enter the body of the car from the rear vestibule, and, under the conditions which have heretofore existed, after the seats have become filled the passengers have usually collected in the aisle between the rows of seats, awaiting an opportunity to take seats when the occupants leave them. This blocks the aisle and prevents access to the forward end of the car. WV hen the car is equipped with the herein described invention, the conductor closes the switch 23 or 24 at the end of the car as soon as the seats have become nearly filled with passengers. As he is stationed at the rear end of the car, the closing of the adjacent switch will operate the forward motor and cause the upper lap of the aisle floor 10 to travel forward. Any passengers who enter the aisle will be gradually carried forward by the moving floor. The motors are so geared to the shafts 16 that the movement of the aisle floor is sufficiently slow to cause the passengers no inconvenience, but at the same time insure that the aisle between the seats is kept clear of passengers, although not interfering with the movement of the passengers to and from the seats. Before the standing room at the forward end of the car becomes crowded, the conductor opens the rear switch 23 or 24 and stops the motor. Passengers may now remain standing in the aisle. Should it happen that the rear part of the car becomes congested with passengers while there are but few passengers in the forward end of the car, the conductor again starts the motion of the aisle floor. In this manner the standing passengers become evenly distributed throughout the car, a condition which adds to the comfort of the standing passengers as well as rendering it easier for other passengers to find room in the car as long as the car is not filled. Inasmuch as the aisle floor is adapted to travel in either direction and is under the control of the conductor when stationed at either end of the car, it is obvious that the passengers may always be moved toward the forward end of the car.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention is herein shown, it will be understood that numerous details of the construction may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention.

I claim:

1. A car comprising a body having an aisle therein, an aisle floor adapted to travel in either direction at the will of an operator, and means for operating said floor.

2. A passenger car comprising a car body, a movable aisle floor therein, means for mov ing said floor in either direction, and controlling means therefor at each end of the car.

3. A passenger car comprising a car body having an aisle theretl'irough, an entrance at one end of the car and an exit at the other, and means in said car adapted to move passengers toward the exit.

4. A passenger car comprising a car body, an aisle floor therein adapted to travel in either direction, means for operating said floor, and means at either end of the car for controlling the operation.

5. A passenger car comprising a car body, an aisle floor therein adapted to travel in either direction, means for operating said floor, and means at respectively opposite ends of the car for controlling the motion of said floor in opposite directions.

6. A passenger car comprising a car body, centrally disposed means in saidbody adapted to move passengers toward one end of the car, and operating means therefor.

7. A passenger car comprising a car body, a conductors booth at either end thereof, a traveling aisle floor in said car, means adapted to drive said floor in either direction, and means in each booth adapted to control the movement of the floor away from such booth.

8. A passenger car comprising a car body, means for providing a conductors booth at either end thereof, a traveling aisle in said car body, means adapted to move said aisle in either direction, and controlling means in each booth adapted to control the movement of the aisle away from such booth.

9. A passenger car comprising a car body having an aisle therein, a traveling floor for said aisle, driving means for said floor at each end of the aisle, and controlling means at each end of the car adapted to control the driving means at the opposite end of the aisle.

10. A passenger car comprising a car body, a conductors station at each end of the car, a traveling aisle floor in the car body and adapted to travel in either direction, operating means for said floor at each end thereof, and means in each conductors station for controlling the operating means at the opposite end of the floor therefrom.

Signed at Chicago this 25th day of March, 1909.

ANDREV J. BREDA.

lVitnesses:

EUGENE A. RUMMLER, MARY M. DILLMAN. 

